The present invention relates generally to control systems, and more particularly to model predictive control employing novel techniques for driving a steady state error to within a desired tolerance.
Many applications are known throughout industry for various types of control systems, and various control system designs fill such applications. In general, feedback control systems provide for sensing one or more detectable parameters of a process, and drive a controlled variable to a desired level on the basis of the sensed parameters. The basis for such control system design may be parametric models, neural networks, linear and non-linear models, to name only a few. In model predictive control systems anticipated trajectories or future values for measured and controlled variables may be made based upon prior knowledge, and control may be designed to obtain desired values of these predicted variable trajectories.
A particular problem with existing control systems, and particularly with model predictive control systems is the tendency to maintain or permit a sustained steady state error. That is, under normal conditions, the control system will drive the controlled variable to a desired level over time. However, because the system may be designed to avoid very rapid changes in variable levels, relatively constant errors may exist between the actual level of a controlled variable and the desired level. The controlled variable itself may consist of any variable susceptible to control, such as temperatures, pressures, flow rates, or any other variable whatsoever in the process. Various techniques may be used to drive the controlled variable to the desired level, including the use of offsets, correction factors, and so forth. However, there is a need for a simple and effective technique for reducing such steady state errors, particularly in model predictive control systems that avoids the “temporary fix” type solution offered by offset corrections and similar approaches.